Engine-starter.



H. TL THOMAS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 8, 1915.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l flTTO/P/YB H. T. THOMAS.

ENGINE STARTER- APPLICATION man 029. a. 1915.

PatentedfNov. 14,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H. T. THOMAS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- s. 1915.

Patented Nov. 14,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. T. THOMAS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION man DEC.8.1915.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- unrrnn STATES PATENT curios.

HORACE 'r. rnom'ns, or LANSING, MICHIGAN.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application flled'December 8, 1915. Serial No. 65,649.

ence being had to the accompanying draw ings, which form a part of thisspecification. My invention relates to engine starters and an object ofmy improvements is to pro vide an improved actuating apparatus and onewhich will act to lock the .change speed gearing in neutral position andwhich affords a means for securing the .operative mechanism of anautomobile from unauthorized interference. I secure this object in thedevice illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which, a

Figure 1 is an elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, and somuch of an automobile as is necessary to show its connection therewith.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation partly insection looking from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail plan Viewpartly in section. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation. Fig. 6 is adetail sectional elevation looking from the. left of Fig. 5, the sectionbeing on the line F-F Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the actuatingring partly in section. Fig. 8 is an elevation looking at the ed e ofthe ring shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a etail sectional elevation showingthe switch for throwing in the starting motor, the plane of iection"being indicated by the line II ig. 2. I

a is the floor of the body of an automobile; Z; is the chane-speed-gearing casing; c is the engine sha t;, d and'e are rodsconnected to the adjusting mechanism of the change speed earingandextending through the wall of t e casing b parallelcto each other.

d e are slots cut vertically. in adjacent sides of the rods (13 and e.

. f is a starting motor.

f is the shaft to the motor f.

g is a sprocket wheel on the shaft f z is a sprocket wheel journaled soas to normally turn freely around and concentric with the shaft '0.

h is a sprocket chain passing over the wheels 9 i and engaging theirteeth.

9' 1s a ratchet wheel rigidly secured upon the shaft 0.

-p is a pawl pivoted upon the sprocket wheel 21 adapted to engage theteeth of' the ratchet-wheel] and normally held out of engagementwith'said teeth by a sprin' 75 0 is a ring sleeved upon the hub o thewheel 5 and adapted to have some angular motion relative to said wheel.The ring 0 is provided with a groove 0 around its periphery and with aslot 0 in its periphery at one side. i

g is a shaft upon one end of which the pawl p is secured. Said shaftextends through the web of the wheel 21 and is pivote'd therein.

r (Fig. 3) is an arm extending from the end of the shaft g opposite tothat upon which the pawl 77 isseoured and engaging eccentrically in theslot 0 of the ring 0. The engagement of the arm 1' in the slot 0normally causes the rotation ofthe ring 0 with the wheel 6. a I 7a is arod adapted to reciprocate vertically in a socket is secured upon thefloor a. a? is a bracket by which the mechanism is secured in place. Y kis a flat blade-or bolt pivoted to the lower end of the rod k andextending downward in line with said rod.

When the change-speed-gearing is in neutral position the rods (2 and ehave such relative position that the slots 6 and a? are op posite eachother and directly below the blade or bolt k extending from the,rod is.The bolt k engages in a slotin the web of the, bracket a adjacent to therods d and 6. When the rod is is depressed the bolt 70 engages in theslots a and d and thereby holds the change-speed-gearing'in its neutralosition. I m is a lever pivoted at m, and having one end engaging underthe lower end of .the rod 70 and holding said rod normally in itselevated position, as shown in Fig. 1. The

lever m has two branches m and m. To the end of the branch m there ispivoted a vertical rod 8- which reciprocates through an opening in theweb of the bracket a 3 is a spring pressing downward upon the rod 8 andthereby acting to hold the end of the lever arm m which is under the rod7c in its elevated position. The upward travel of the lever arm m isadjusted by a set screw .2.

There is a set screw 8 carried by an arm extending from the lower end ofthe rod 8 which set screw is adapted to contact a rod t to press saidrod upward and force the contact piece t (Fig. 9) into connection withthe contact pieces 6 t so as to Complete the circuit through theelectric motor. From the arm m extending from the lever m there is abrake band it which in the mechanism shown is cylindrical and engages inthe \I-shaped slot 0 on the ring 0. The band proper is connected to thearm m by a helical spring 97?. The other end of said band is connected tthe bracket a by an adjustable screw h (Fig. 1).

The operation of the above described device is as follows: When it isdesired to start the engine the change-speed-gearing is placed inneutral position with the slots e and d of the rods 6 and d' oppositeeach other and directly beneath the blade or bolt extending downwardfrom the rod is. The operator then presses the rod 70 down with hisfoot, the bolt 70 engaging in the slots e d and upon further motionrocking the lever arm m until the rod 8 is drawn so high that it hascome in contact with the rod t and actuates said rod to close 'theswitch of the motor. Thus, the motor is set in motion driving the gearwheel i through Wheel 7' and chain h, the brake band 11. being broughtforcibly into engagement with the walls of the groove 0 of the ring 0,retards such ring in its motion which acts against the arm r to rock therod or shaft 9, and turn the pawl p into position to engage a tooth ofthe ratchet wheel 71, which latter is rigidly secured upon the shaft 0and thus the shaft 0 is actuated to start the engine. If an explosionshould occur in the engine before it has reached its upper center, themechanism may turn backward without bringing much strain upon theoperators foot inasmuch as the ring 0 can turn against the frictionalresistance of the brake band 92;. I have cut an annular groove w in theperiphery of the rod 70 (Figs. 3 and 5) and in the socket or guide piece10 I have cut a slot '0 which is bordered by two lugs extendingoutwardly from said socket or guide piece. I have placed a vertical pmit through said lugs passing across saidslot. When the groove 10 comesopposite the groove 1:, the bolt 1: is engaged in the slots 6 d but theswitch is not yet v'2 to complete the circuit through the motor. In thisposition I engage a hasp of a padlock through the slot 0 and around thepin u, said hasp also extending into the groove 'w in the rod 7:. Thus,the change-speed-gearing is locked in its neutral position and thestarter actuating mechanism is locked an inoperative position and theapparatus is secure from unauthorized interference. The spring 02 ismade of such proportion that when the lever arm m is actuated it shallbring a sufficient but not excessive pressure between the brake brand itand the walls of the slot 0 of the ring 0 and this spring may yield incase of a reverse movement of themechanism.

1 have described and claimed the specific apparatus for engaging thestarting motor with the engine shaft in a co-pendmg application.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a change-speedgearing, a starting mechanism, meansfor successively locking said change-speed-gearing in its neutralposition and then setting said mechanism in operation, and means forfastening said locking means in position after it has locked thechange-speed-gearing in its neutral position and before it has set themotor in motion.

2. The combination of a change-speed gearing, having two moving partsfor adusting said gearing, slots in the adjacent sides of saidadjustingparts, a reciprocating bolt adapted to engage said slots whenthe change-speed-gearing is in neutral position, a starting mechanism,and means for setting said mechanism in operation adapted golbe actuatedwith the movement of said 3. The combination of a change-speedgearinghaving two moving parts for adjusting said gearing, slots in theadjacent sides of said adjusting parts, a reciprocating bolt adapted toengage said slots when the change-speed-gearing is in neutral position,a starting mechanism, and means for setting said mechanism in operationadapted to be actuated with the movement of said bolt, and means forlocking said bolt in position after it is engaged in said slots andbefore it has caused the mechanism to be set in operation.

4. The combination of a change-speed slots, a reciprocating part adaptedto en-' g e in said slots to hold the change-speed gearing in neutralposition, a starting mecha groove adapted to register with said apanism,means for setting said starting mecherture, and an engaging partextending into anism in operation adapted to be engaged'by said slot andsaid aperture for the purpose said reciprocating part, saidreciprocating described.

part being adapted to slide in a socket, said In testimony whereof, Isign this specifisocket being provided With an aperture, cation. saidreciprocating part being provided with HORACE T. THOMAS.

